


The Garwolf and The King

by LostCauses (Anteros)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M, eruri - Freeform, excessively flowery language, not my usual style at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-15 23:40:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14151903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anteros/pseuds/LostCauses
Summary: There once was a young king who was as noble as he was valiant, as fair as he was just.  In his service King Erwin commanded five hundred brave knights, the fairest flower of chivalry, yet none were more bold, nor loved the king with a truer heart than the Knight Levi.  Levi was the king’s most loyal knight, his closest companion, his most trusted confidante, and yet he hid a dark secret.A Mediaeval AU based  on the 12th century taleBisclavret.





	The Garwolf and The King

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seitsensarvi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seitsensarvi/gifts).



There once was a young king who was as noble as he was valiant, as fair as he was just. Beloved by highborn and low alike, King Erwin was brave in battle, merciful in judgement and generous to those in need. Throughout his reign, his kingdom and lands prospered in peace and plenty, though here and there dark tales of bygone ages still lingered of strange creatures, neither man, nor beast, that prowled the dark forests of the north. 

In his service King Erwin commanded five hundred brave knights, the fairest flower of chivalry, yet none were more bold, nor loved the king with a truer heart than the Knight Levi. Steadfast in courage, unfailing in valour, no man equalled Levi in knightly prowess. Hailing from the northern marches of the kingdom, Levi was nephew to Lord Ackerman, a tall grim lord, who had once been liegeman to the exiled prince of a far off land. As short as the king was tall, as dark as he was fair, Levi was King Erwin’s champion and he shared a deep bond of trust with his liege. Levi was the king’s most loyal knight, his closest companion, his most trusted confidante, and yet he hid a dark secret. Every month at the waxing of the moon Levi took his leave from the court and left the king’s side for three days and three nights. Where he went, none could tell, and thought it pained the king to be separated from his closest companion, he trusted Levi like no other and so he let him go without hindrance. Only once did he ask his knight whither he went and for what cause, but Levi only shook his head in sorrow. 

“Fain would I tell you all,” he replied, “but I beseech you my lord, do not ask what I can not answer.”

Month after month, year after year, King Erwin watched from the high battlements with sorrowful countenance and heavy heart as Levi rode out from the castle gate, and month after month, year after year, he welcomed him back with joy as he faithfully returned to take his place at the king’s right hand. 

What the knight feared to tell the king was that although the Ackerman lineage was blessed with great strength and prowess in battle, they were also blighted by a terrible curse. Every second generation a son was born to a daughter of the house who was dual in nature; both man and beast. That foul unnatural creature, called garwolf in the Norman tongue. No matter how good, how loyal, how true they were in the form of a man, as a beast they transformed into a savage monster, a vicious lunatic shunned by all men. Finding herself with child and fearing for her unborn son, Lord Ackerman’s sister, the fair Lady Kuchel, fled hearth and home, to live in poverty and concealment, hoping that her child would escape such awful doom, but alas it was not to be. Helpless in the hands of his fate, Levi was born both man and wolf, cursed to prowl the dark places of the world as long as he was bound to this earth. Lord Ackerman searched far and wide for his sister, but when at last he found her, it was too late. Worn down by grief and sorrow, Lady Kuchel passed away, when her son was yet a boy of barely five years old. Lord Ackerman found him keeping silent watch by his mother’s side, and though his intent had been to slay the ill-fated wretch, pity stayed his hand, and he took up the child and returned with him to his castle to raise him as his ward. 

Though he spared the child, Lord Ackerman was an inattentive warden; he afforded the boy little guidance and less comfort. Levi grew up untutored, unloved and uncouth, and yet for all that he was brave and fearless and had a true and constant heart. Though short in stature, Levi was fair as the first frost of winter, with skin as pale as ivory, hair as black as coal, and eyes like silver moonlight. What he lacked in fair speech he made up for in loyalty and courage, and what he lacked in stature he made up in strength of arms. 

Hearing of the prowess of Lord Ackerman’s ward, King Erwin sent messengers and bade him attend a great tournament to celebrate the feast of Saint Sina. Though yet but a squire, Levi vanquished all of the great champions of the court and in feats of sword and lance he was unequalled. So impressed was King Erwin by Levi’s valour, that he knighted him there upon the field and thus he became the king’s champion and constant companion from that day forward. 

Now the prince to whom Lord Ackerman was liegeman had died young and untimely, and the lord had grown bitter and twisted in his grief. Jealous of his nephew’s favour with the young king, and fearful least he reveal the dread secret of their lineage, Lord Ackerman resolved to betray Levi.

Every month, when the moon waxed full, Levi was fated to return to the dark forests of the north. By secret paths he made his way to a ruined chapel by a great oak and there he shed his clothes, concealing them under a hollow rock below the altar. For such was the curse that if Levi was to loose his raiment he would never again be able to take human form and would be doomed to remain the garwolf for all the long days of his life. Once his clothes were carefully hidden, Levi walked naked into the forest and there, clad only in the skin of the beast, he made his lair in the thickest depths, far away from the eyes of men. But Lord Ackerman knew his nephew’s place of concealment and he sent one of his men to steal Levi’s clothes from the chapel and thus was Levi betrayed. 

When the knight did not return from his travels, the king was dismayed. Every day and every night he watched from the battlements, but Levi never came. He sent swift messengers to ride out to every corner of the kingdom in search of his champion, but no trace of him could they find. Foresters and skilled woodsmen searched deep into the forests, but they returned alone. Some whispered that Levi had betrayed the king’s trust and pledged his allegiance to another. On hearing this, King Erwin grew wroth and banished the whisperers from the court. The young king mourned the loss of his trusted companion greatly and a chill settled over his heart; all light and joy was extinguished and his life became a burden. Only in hunting and the sports of the field did he find some little solace. 

A whole year passed in which Levi did not return and all but the King believed he was lost, or had fallen in some distant war. 

Now it came to pass, when winter turned to spring and the blackthorn put forth its blossom, King Erwin rode out with hawk and hounds to hunt in the forests along the northern border of his kingdom. There on the edge of the great woods, the hounds picked up a scent that set them baying and yelping unceasingly. It was said that a wolf had been sighted in the depths of the forest, a strange creature with eyes that flashed like silver, jet-black but for a flash of white at its throat. The beast was rumoured to be the garwolf. 

Immediately the pack gave chase, streaming through the trees with the king and his retinue galloping after. All day the hounds followed the scent, through bush and briar, never once giving up the chase until at last, as the sun began to set and dusk to fall, they brought the black wolf to bay against a towering precipice of dark rock. Though small for a wolf of full growth, it fought valiantly with the spirit and courage of a much larger beast. Before long, its flanks ran red with blood, and a dozen brave hounds lay dead and dying with their throats ripped out around its feet. But for all its strength and fury, the wolf was no match for the baying pack, and it yelped and growled piteously as they renewed their frenzied attack. The king rode forward to strike the fatal blow, but as he raised his lance the wolf lifted its head and fixed him with a look of such hopeless sorrow that it pierced him through his heart and stayed his hand. 

“Halt,” he commanded, and bade the huntsmen call off the hounds. Then, strange to behold, the wolf limped forward towards the king, leaving a trail of bright blood bedewing the grass behind it. The king’s mount, stamped and snorted as the wolf slunk towards them, but the king spoke soft words to calm her. The wolf approached, fawning around the horse’s fetlocks with tail and ears held low, then to the astonishment of all, he placed his bloodied forepaws on the king’s stirrup and reached up to lick his boots, as though the king was his master, and he his favoured hound. For, beast as Levi was, he was yet man enough to know King Erwin and acknowledge him as his one true lord and liege. Gazing up at the king, he begged Erwin for mercy as clearly as if he still had the tongue of a man. The king looked down in wonder at the strange beast and lowering his lance, he reached out one hand and placed it on the wolf’s head. The wolf growled low and, turning his muzzle into the king’s hand, he gently licked his palm in supplication. 

Struck by the gentleness of the strange beast, King Erwin ordered the huntsmen to take up the injured wolf and place him across his saddle bow. And so the hunting party rode through the twilight gloom of the forest back to the castle walls, the wolf lying warm and heavy across the king’s lap. On reaching the courtyard, the wolf leapt lightly from the king’s saddle and, trotting at his heels, followed him meekly into the great hall. Seeing the grizzled beast, its fur all streaked with blood and gore, the ladies of the court cried out in alarm, rousing the pampered lap dogs sleeping around the hearth. Yet instead of scattering in fear, the dogs started forward, yapping around the wolf’s paws as though greeting a long lost friend. 

After ordering the wolf’s wounds to be bathed and dressed, King Erwin commanded that no one might strike or mistreat him, that he should be given whatever food and drink he desired, and treated always with kindliness and respect. The wolf repaid the king’s trust and compassion tenfold. Always tame and gentle, he became King Erwin’s constant companion. Wheresoever the king went, the wolf followed. When he rode out to hunt, the wolf trotted at his heel, when he held court in the great hall, the wolf sat quietly at his side, and at night when the king retired, the wolf kept watch in the king’s own chamber at the foot of the royal bed. He would not suffer to be parted from King Erwin and it was clear to all how much he loved his liege and master. 

“The wolf is a good and loyal servant to our king,” one knight said to another. “Rather he is not a servant but his companion and his friend,” the other replied. 

And indeed, though King Erwin still mourned the loss of the Knight Levi with every day that dawned and every night that fell, he drew great comfort and strength from the company of the wolf, and a spark of joy kindled in his heart.

Now comes a strange turn in the tale of the wolf and the king. Every mid-summer King Erwin held a great feast, and all his knights, and lords and barons were summoned to attend to show their allegiance to the king. From every corner of the kingdom they came, richly attired in silks and damask, riding in retinue with their ladies, their squires and their pages. Among those lords came none other than Lord Ackerman, tall and grim, clad all in black, he alone came without entourage or company.

Once the guests were assembled, King Erwin entered the hall with great ceremony, the faithful black wolf padding by his side. The lords and ladies marveled at the well-mannered creature, but no sooner had he spotted Lord Ackerman, than he stopped dead. His hackles rose, his fur bristled and his mouth drew back in a terrifying snarl. Suddenly the wolf broke away from the king, whose hand was resting lightly on his shoulder, and leaped at Lord Ackerman with a ferocious growl. Seizing the lord by the throat, the wolf dragged him to the floor. King Erwin called the wolf off, but such was his frenzy and his rage that it took six strong men to pull him away from the unfortunate lord. Lord Ackerman struggled to his feet, his coat all torn and bloodied and, pointing at the wolf, which now crouched growling at the king’s feet, demanded that the savage beast be put to the sword. 

Suddenly King Erwin’s seneschal, a wise and trusted knight, stepped forward. 

“Wait my lord,” they cried, their voice rising above the tumult of the assembled throng. “Let me speak for your trusted servant the wolf, for he has no tongue to voice his own defense.” 

“Silence,” King Erwin commanded. “Let Seneschal Zoe speak.” 

The wolf whined and laid his head upon the king’s feet, gazing up at him as if in atonement.

“My Lord King,” the seneschal began, “long has the black wolf been by your side, your truest and most trusted friend. And ever has he been a gentle and affectionate companion, even suffering the little children of the court to play upon his back. Each and every one of us has caressed and petted him in perfect trust and confidence. Never has he affrighted anyone or done so much as raised a claw or bared a tooth. To no one has he done evil or shown malice, except to this one man, Lord Ackerman.” 

Every eye was fixed on the seneschal, excepting the wolf, whose gaze never once left King Erwin’s face. 

“Sire,” the seneschal continued, “there is something uncanny in this business. I believe, my lord, that this man has gravely wronged your good friend the wolf, but how or why I cannot perceive. What is more, Lord Ackerman is the uncle of the Knight Levi, who disappeared so long ago and who has never since been seen by the eyes of men. The truth of this, I cannot tell, but there is something here outside of nature. I counsel Your Majesty to question Lord Ackerman closely, that he may shed some light on this affair, and let it be known the reason why the wolf attacked him, alone of all men.

King Erwin listened with grave countenance to the words of his wise seneschal, and he resolved to do as they advised. The king ordered Lord Ackerman to be seized and taken to the dungeons where he was questioned under threat of torture. Though loathe he was to admit his treachery, at last he confessed all, revealing how he had stolen Levi’s clothes and concealed them in his castle. 

Lord Ackerman’s castle not being far off, King Erwin immediately despatched his swiftest riders to fetch the clothes and return with them to the court. The clothes were placed on the floor in front of the wolf, but to the king’s dismay, the beast paid them no heed and turned his head away. 

Once again the wise Seneschal Zoe spoke up.

“My Lord, lay not the clothes in front of the wolf before the whole assembled company, for it will be in shame and sorrow that he will set aside the form of the beast, to become a man once more. Take him to your own private bedchamber, where he is wont to sleep, and leave him there alone and in peace for a while. Then we shall know if your faithful companion is indeed a man in the guise of a wolf.”

The king did as the seneschal said. He led the wolf to his own private chamber, laid the clothes out upon his bed, and locked the beast inside, leaving him quite alone.

King Erwin waited anxiously outside the door until the hour of sunset, and then, entering the chamber, he moved softly to the side of the bed. The sight that greeted him caused him to cry out in astonishment. There, lying on the counterpane of the king’s own royal bed lay the lost Knight Levi, sleeping as peacefully as a newborn child. Weeping with joy, King Erwin embraced Levi, kissing him again and again as his face ran wet with tears. When Levi came to his senses he embraced the king fondly, overjoyed to be restored to his true form and reunited with his liege. Once he had recovered, he told King Erwin the strange sad tale of his betrayal by his uncle and of the long lonely months he was condemned to hide in the depths of forest in the guise of a ravening beast.

The king banished the false Lord Ackerman from the kingdom and restored to Levi his titles and his lands and took him back into his court as his most trusted companion and champion. From that day forward King Erwin and the Knight Levi were never more parted, though it was said, that sometimes, when the moon was full, and the king rode out to hunt, a small black wolf could be seen running at his side. 

_**~ Finis ~** _

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on the tale of _Bisclavret_ , one of the lais of [Marie de France](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_de_France) written in the late 12th century. In the original story the knight is betrayed by his false wife. Her betrayal is revealed when the wolf bites off her nose whereupon the king banishes her and lives happily ever after with his knight. It's excessively gay. 
> 
> This version is based heavily on the translations by James Reeves in _The Shadow of the Hawk_ and Naomi Lewis in _Proud Knight, Fair Lady_. And in case you're wondering, the scene at the end where the king kisses and embraces the knight is lifted directly from the 12th century original!


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